Writing surface for recording instruments



Sept. 22, 1931. M. TIBBETTS WRITING SURFACE FOR RECORDING INSTRUMENTS Filed Oct. 20, 1926 CHAN! OIL AT -i|lllllilllllil-llllllllllllb- E514 glnucufoc flLTuN FEBETTE.

6H0: may

mron mum, or" ml'rnon', ncmem,

is desirab Patented Sept. 22, 1931 UNITED STATES AT NT OFFICE comm, OI DETROIT,

ABBIGII'OB '10 PACKARD MOTOR CAB IICEIGAN, A WBPOBL'I'IOH MICHIGAN WRITING SURFACE TOE RECORDING mmumrs Application ma 0mm so, mm. mm Io. 14am.

This invention relates to motor vehicles and more particularly to writing surfaces for recording instruments therefor.

In the roper care of motor vehicles, it eto change the engine oil at the end of a given number of miles of engine work. In fact to obtain the greatest efficiency and to prolong the life of an en ine the changing of the oil at predetermined 1o mileage becomes of paramount importance.

" indicated. Such Therefore, it is necessar or desirable to maintain a record for rea y reference showin the number of miles indicated by the ometer when the engine oil was last changed or the number of miles the odometer will indicate when it will become necessary 'to ain change the engine oil. Various met ods have been adopted for this purpose, the usual method bein to paste a st'c er or tag upon the face 0 the speedometer upon which the number of miles is pasters are unsightly and in addition thereto are not always available at the time re uired.

The desirability of maintaining such a record associated with the odometer becomes apparent and to maintain such a record in the least unsightly yet most eflicient and convenient manner becomes an ob ect of this invention.

Another object of the invention is to pro-' vide a readily accessible means associated with an odometer for recording data pertaining to the use thereof.

Another object of theinvention is to provide a convenient means of recording a temporar record for use at a predetermined perio which may be easily expunged when it becomes necessary or desirable to make a new entry.

A further object of the invention is to provide a readily accessible and convenient means whereby a temporary record may be easily and quickly made wlth a lead pencil or crayon upon the glass cover of a combined speedometer and odometer tobe associated with and used in conjunction with the odometer and to so arrange and construct such means that the record will be clearly legible.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a recording instrument havin a dark face or dial with a glass cover having inscribed thereupon indic1a and a panel as sociated therewith etched upon the face of the glass coverin whereby the recording of data with a lea pencil or crayon may be easily accomplished, and a corresponding oppositel disposed light surface upon the back of t e glass cover to render the recorded data more easily visible.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accom anying drawings which form a part of thls speclfication and in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a speedometer having associated therewith an odometer and a clock the whole arranged within a case provided with a glass cover, the cover being equipped with my invention and part1 broken away to display the dial or face o the instrument.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1,- broken away back of the face plate,

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a glass cover illustrating a modified form of the invention, and

Referring by numerals to the drawings, 10 represents a portion of an instrument board of a motor vehicle. Mounted upon the instrument board is an instrument 11 comprising a speedometer the dial of which is indicated at 12, an odometer the dial of which is indicated at 13 and 14 respectively and a clock the dial of which is shown at 15. The face 16 of the instrument is shown in black as indicated at 17 That is, that ortion of the face surrounding the dials o the speedometer, odometer and clock is in black to provide a background designed to accentuate or to displa more prominentl the respective dials. nstrument faces 0 this character are well known in the art and have been adopted by various manufacturers.

The face 17 of the instrument 11 is rovided with a glass cover 18 mounted in a site side of the glass, oppositely disposed with *respect to or regir with the 2t). These anels which are ogpositely diser are etched posed wit respect toteech ot upon the glass cover 1% or they may be otherwise formed to roduce a li ht or a roughened surface. '2? e etching o the panels may well be accomplished simultaneously or one after the other without any loss of time before or after the operation of etching. Data are easily recordable upon the front panel 20 with a lead pencil or crayon, the same being readily erasable by ones finger, a rubber eraser or any other convenient means.

" The arrangement of the panels 20 and 21 in their oppositely disposed relation obscures or obliterates that portion of the dark or black face 17 directl beneath the panels and presents a dense du light background u on which the data recorded upon the pane 20 willbe more easily visible, than would be aeeaeie traarent cover over and adjacent to the rh face, an etched panel on the outside of said cover for recording data and a rehector panel on the inside of said cover and between the etched panel and the dark face whereby the reflector panel obscures the dark gace and reflects and intensifies the recorded ata.

2. A glass cover having a roughened panel on one'side, and in registry with the same as seen from said one side a roughened panel on the other side.

3. A trans arent glass cover having upon a rtion 0 one face a roughened panel an upon its other face an obscuring panel in registry with the first mentioned panel.

7 In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

MILTON TIBBETTS.

the case where. a panel was etched on one surface only. I

In Fi 3 and 4 I have shown a modified f0 0 my invention wherein the glass cover 18 is rovided with an etched panel 20 over whic are arranged indicia 22 readin ()hange oil'at. The obiectis to recor upon the panel the mileage which will be indicated by the odometer at which it will be necessary to change the engine oil. it is, of course, obvious that the reverse of this indiciamight well be used,v as for instance 0il was changed at and a lead pencil record upon thepanel as to the number oil miles indicated by the odometer when the oil was changed.

in order that the data recorded upon the I anel 20 may be more clearly and easily visible, there is painted or otherwise prepared on the back of the glass directly opposite the anel 20 a pre ared light sur ace or pane 23 correspon ing in contour-to the panel 20. The prepared panel 23 adds density to the background 0 thereb corde thereupon and in addition thereto obscures or obliterates the dark or black face of the instrument which would otherwise be visible through that portion of the cover upon which the panels are or may be arranged.

While 1 have shown and described the preferred embodiment of an invention, I wish it to be understood that do not confine myself to the precise details of construction herein set forth, by way of illustration, as it is apparent that many changes and variations may be made therein by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit the panel 20 and intensifies and reflects the data re- I ltd lid 

